Indian Football's North Eastern Spring

Royal Wahingdoh promise to persist with local players next season after becoming the third club from Shillong to make it to I-League.
Indian Football's North Eastern Spring

It is perhaps a reflection of the topsy-turvy nature of Indian football, that one of the more meaningful goals of the season was scored in its second tier.

When Bekay Bawar ruffled Bhawanipore’s net in the 87th minute of an I-League Second Division clash on Friday, it not only served as a climax to Royal Wahingdoh’s fast sprint up the ladder, but also marked the ascension of a small hilly town in the North East to the ranks of India’s footballing elite. If Rangdajied United doesn’t upset the proverbial apple cart by getting relegated, Shillong will have three clubs in the I-League next year — the same as Kolkata and just one less than Goa who will have the most.

Take the trio — Lajong, Rangdajied and Wahingdoh — together and the latter will be the odd man out. For when big brothers Lajong were readying themselves for a crack at qualification to the I-League in 2008, Wahingdoh were in the third tier of the Shillong League. That was when current owner Dominic Tariang stepped in with finances and a vision. His first two years saw consecutive promotions and his third saw Wahingdoh become the first debutante club ever to lift the Shillong Premier League.

“When we took over, we tried to develop a good youth squad. Many of those players who we had scouted then were on the field on Friday when we secured promotion to the I-League,” he says.

Wahingdoh now have one of the best youth set-ups in the country with their youth team having just departed to South Africa for a tournament that will feature youngsters from EPL team Sunderland. Last year, it was to Germany. “We are going to persist with our youngsters in the I-League next year. They have beaten the likes of Mohun Bagan and Churchill Brothers,” he says.

Wahingdoh’s story is part of a larger plot — that of Shillong’s rise. The city has gone from being nowhere on the country’s footballing map to one of its most important centres in less than a decade and to Lajong general secretary Larsing Ming, it is the result of a strategy that took shape when his club made its first foray into the I-League.

“We tried to tap talent from the entire North East region as opposed to just Shillong. I think with our success, other teams started to follow the same philosophy as well. You just have to look at the Shillong Premier League now to see the difference. While ten years ago, it was largely played by local players, it has transformed into a league that showcases the best footballing talent that the North East has to offer.”

And this strategy has helped the clubs financially as well. While clubs elsewhere struggle for basic sponsorship, those in Shillong have it far easier. 

The advertisement hoardings placed around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, every time Lajong play a home game, are testament to this. “We have tried to brand ourselves as a club that represents the entire region and hence have sponsors from all North Eastern states including Sikkim,” he says.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com